


Appearances Can Be Deceiving

by Skye_Willows



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: DPD shenanigans, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Nines and Gavin are snarky bastards, Secret Relationship, They're soft really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:49:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25130413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skye_Willows/pseuds/Skye_Willows
Summary: Gavin and Nines were renowned for their feisty yet effective partnership at the DPD, the two were constantly trying to one up each other.A small change leads to another of their infamous arguments - but the resolution is their little secret.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 14
Kudos: 131
Collections: New ERA Discord: Reverse Big Bang





	Appearances Can Be Deceiving

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! Time for yet another Big Bang!
> 
> This time it was a Reverse Big Bang, and I worked with the delightful Kai! Please feel free to scream about his art on his [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SaiJordison)'s! 
> 
> This fic is shameless snark. I love making these two be bitchy to each other but secretly soft.

When he appeared in the precinct after his scheduled two days off, Nines pointedly ignored all of the looks directed his way. In fact, it almost became a game of seeing who would be the first to approach him and ask ‘the question’. He could feel all of the stares and pick up most of the whispering going on, but thus far no-one actually had enough steel to  **talk** to him.

It was equal parts amusing and depressing.

Much to his entertainment, this went on for almost half an hour before Tina and Chris reappeared from an incident that they’d been called out for. The pair took one look at Nines with wildly differing reactions. Chris just gave him a stare as if Nines had appeared with new tentacles as part of his appendages (he was not highly tempted to try that) while Tina was giving a casual smirk.

“You trying to get everyone gossiping, Terminator? Cause it’s gonna work,” she snorted while giving him a clap on the back. “Good on you.”

“Thank you, Tina,” Nines replied politely, though privately he was actually kind of disappointed that she didn’t ask more. That was hardly what he expected the first person to approach him to say. Chris just gave him a supporting smile and a nod before going back to his desk, which only added to Nines’ confusion.

Of all this time for the entirety of the DPD to give up their curious ways…weren’t police officers and detectives  **paid** to be nosey bastards, technically?

Nines rolled his eyes while getting back to work, but he didn’t have to wait for too long before he finally got the reaction he’d been waiting for – and from exactly who he’d been expecting to.

“The  **fuck?!** What the fuck did you do, tin-can?!”

While spinning around in his computer chair and eyeing up his partner’s gobsmacked face, Nines smirked. “Only 36 minutes late this time, Reed,” he pointed out. “Were you practising your goldfish impression? I’m afraid it still needs work.”

Tina started sniggering from nearby along with Chris, while Nines could pick up some choked laughter from Ben’s desk too.  **This** was what he’d been wanting.

Gavin glared at Nines as he stalked around his desk and all but dropped his coffee cup on the surface. He swore as some of the hot liquid caught his hand and sucked it quickly to soothe the burn, to which Nines raised an eyebrow. “Gavin, if you are looking for something to stick in your mouth then there are far more appropriate items – and during sometime other than work hours.”

That time a few more titters resounded around the room, which Gavin studiously ignored as he continued staring at his partner. “Is this the equivalent of an android mid-life crisis?” he asked seriously, to which Nines blinked.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You know, ‘mid-life crisis’. When you get all existential and decide to go ‘fuck it’ on things that you haven’t ever experienced before?” the detective explained with an expression of ‘are you taking the piss?’ look on his face. 

“Considering that I am only 19 months, 3 days and 22 hours old out of an estimated lifespan of 331 years, I would hardly believe that I anywhere near what would be considered a midpoint in my life,” Nines argued back.

“Cut the crap, tin can. Why the fuck did you change your hair to blue?”

_ Ah, there it is.  _ It had only taken 58 minutes total…That was depressing, that meant that Connor’s estimate was closer. Now he would have to hold up his end of the bet and pay for all of the drinks whenever the two of them next went socialising. How infuriating when Nines had managed to win the last 6 bets between them. A victorious ping came across the network from Connor and Nines’ left eye locked on to his predecessor and the lieutenant from across the room. Connor was smiling happily while Hank was pointedly trying not to laugh too loudly and break up whatever show Nines and Gavin were putting on.

Well, Nines was not one to spoil everyone else’s fun. “I was simply curious is all,” Nines stated while turning back to his screen. “Humans tend to change their hair colours all the time; in fact you have used nine different hair colourants in the time that I have known you to touch up greying roots, so why should this be any different?”

Gavin blushed furiously at Nines’ comment as several people failed to hold back on their laughter this time. Hank doubled over and had to snigger into Connor’s shoulder to not be too loud while Tina and Chris were now clamping a hand over each other’s mouths. Ben had grabbed his hoodie and was currently howling into it, tears building at the edges of his eyes. It was highly amusing to see all of their co-workers deriving such entertainment from his and Gavin’s bickering.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, don’t androids have any sense of not outing people!” Gavin yelled while hurling a pen at Nines, who simply caught it between his fingers and started twirling it. “Fucking show off…” Gavin grumbled while hanging up his jacket. “Okay, maybe not mid-life crisis then. Teenage rebellion?”

“I doubt I could even be considered a ‘teenager’, Reed; in stature or chronological age. Why must you try and quantify this?” Nines sighed while leaning back.

“Cause you don’t just do shit like this!” Gavin exclaimed. “Mister prim and proper suddenly goes out and dyes his hair blue? Nah, this an elaborate joke, yeah? It’ll be back to normal tomorrow?”

“Normal is such a nondescript word and highly misleading,” Nines stated while turning back to his monitor. “No, my hair will not be returning back to its default colour tomorrow, I am very happy with the result. In fact, I might make it a habit to change up the shading every few days…” With a smirk Nines shifted the colour once more and was now a deep black colour. Gavin blinked at him in surprise, which Nines pounced upon and then moved it to blonde instead. “Not to your liking?”

Gavin shook his head and huffed, throwing up two middle fingers while storming off. “Far too early for this bullshit…I’m off to the gym to punch the shit out of a bag since I’m not allowed to swing for you anymore, asshole!”

“We all remember what happened the last time you tried that, Detective. I could always use you as a makeshift mop and ‘wipe the floor’ with you again?” Gavin didn’t reply save for a shouted ‘ _ fuck you!’  _ which echoed back through to the bullpen.

As the door to the next segment of the precinct slammed shut everyone let loose with their repressed laughter. Tina and Chris collapsed against her desk while holding their sides while Ben almost toppled off his chair. Connor shook his head fondly while Hank let loose with a deep belly laugh, loud enough to pull Fowler out of his office and bellow across the bullpen.

**_“Oi!_ ** Some of us are working, as you all should be!” he barked, to which everyone started meandering back to their desks. It was a good fifteen minutes after the furore had died down before Nines looked up in the direction of the gym. There was no sign of Gavin returning anytime soon and his phone’s GPS indicated that he was most certainly not en route back.

With a long suffering sigh, Nines stood and meandered over to the gym. “On your way to pick up your dramatic partner?” Hank snorted, to which Nines shrugged nonchalantly.

“We’ve already lost enough time today and I can’t deal with Gavin sulking all day. Might as well help him get over himself now so we can actually work,” the RK900 stated, smirking when a chorus of ‘ _ good luck _ ’ echoed through and followed him.

He advanced towards the gym and opened the doors to see a few officers already in there, scowling when Gavin was not among the numbers. Tracking the wayward detective’s phone again, Nines found he was actually in the small studio off to the side, usually used for high intensity training sessions. Now locked on to Gavin’s signal, Nines opened the door and smirked when he found Gavin standing there with his arms crossed, eyes narrowed in waiting. “And here I thought you were having a sulk,” Nines taunted as he closed the door and locked it behind him, tapping into the controls for the window tinting remotely so that the glass fogged over.

Now in private, Gavin closed the distance and pushed Nines back against the door, barely giving the android time to stop moving before he found his mouth being attacked in a passionate kiss. The moan which fell from Gavin’s lips was mildly muffled by Nines’ quiet laughter, but the android was more than happy to accept this form of communication. When they pulled apart Gavin was breathing hard. “God fucking damn you…” he muttered, to which Nines chuckled and pressed another kiss to the tip of Gavin’s nose.

“Nice to see you too, darling,” the android quipped while settling his arms around Gavin’s waist. “You were late?”

“Priscilla,” Gavin explained, face scrunching at the mention of his drama queen cat. “Got herself stuck inside the fridge again. Took me fucking ages to figure out where she was meowing from – bitch hid behind my cartons of fruit juice and I couldn’t see her.”

“Gavin, you really need to get some child locks or something so that you don’t constantly lose your cat,” Nines sighed, though the smile of his face revealed that he was highly amused by Gavin’s morning predicament.

“She’s a fuckin’ cat which fits in your palm, Ni! I’ve no idea how a devil cat that size manages to get the fuck-ass heavy door open!” the detective exclaimed defensively.

Nines simply fixed Gavin with a look. “Nevertheless, she continues to prove you wrong. I’ve ordered some locks, they will arrive at your address tonight.”

Flushing in embarrassment, Gavin stepped away to rub the back of his neck. “Thanks, I’ll wire you the cash later. In all seriousness though, what’s with the change in hair colour? You about gave me a heart attack when I wandered in and your hair’s the colour of some of the popsicles I used to eat as a kid.”

“That might explain some of your questionable life choices even now,” Nines theorised, chuckling when Gavin flipped him off. “I simply liked it: I was cycling through all of the colour choices at my disposal and…stopped when I enjoyed my reflection. Is it really that bad?” he asked, suddenly self-conscious.

“No! Fuck, no it’s gorgeous,” Gavin told him earnestly. “I’m surprised you didn’t pick up  _ ahem  _ just how much I like it…”

Now that Nines was looking, he did in fact pick up traces of latent arousal and smiled softly. “I’m glad you like it,” he whispered, to which Gavin winked at him.

“Babe, you could have chosen to go bald and stuck yourself with a Goofy voice, I’m still going to think you’re way too sexy than is good for my health.” That caused Nines to blush this time, and Gavin couldn’t help himself from sniggering. “You-! Oh my god, your blush is the same colour as your hair! That’s too fuckin’ adorable!” he chuckled.

Nines rolled his eyes but did nothing to will away his blush, instead closing the distance to kiss Gavin softly again. The two of them shared a few more kisses before Nines pulled back and pressed their foreheads together. “I believe enough time will have passed so that our return fits with expectations.”

“Honestly, you’d think those dumbasses would have clocked by now,” the detective smiled while shaking his head. “With all the people paid through there to pay attention to shit, surely one of them must have realised you and I are a thing by now…?”

“Gavin, with how we are at each other’s throats in the bullpen, is it really that much of a surprise almost all of them think we hate each other?”

Thinking on it, Gavin shrugged and stole a last kiss from Nines before wandering back towards the door. “Well that’s ten months now they’ve now twigged. Think it’ll finally clock after you move in with me?”

“I’m not holding my breath,” Nines smirked while following Gavin to the door. 

When the detective turned back and slapped him across the chest though, Nines was concerned. “That’s for outing me about the hair dyes, you prick!” Gavin snapped, scandalized. “Of all the fucking things you could come up with as a rebuttal,  **that** was the best you could come up with?”

Nines’ smile only grew. “Just two nights ago you were moaning at the price of the upkeep – I thought this would be a good opportunity for you to give it up with a reason since everyone now knows that you are indeed going grey. I could have added that you’ve been doing it since you were 23, but I thought that might be a step too far.”

“Damn right it would have been,” Gavin growled, but he then winked at Nines. “I’m gonna get you back for that, you oversized toaster. Might see just how much of a mess I can make that gorgeous shade of blue over the day.”

“Sounds fun,” Nines purred. “Shall we get back to business?”

Gavin did indeed get his revenge – courtesy of a ‘trip and spill’ of his coffee all over Nines’ head later that day.

Yeah, nobody was going to work out they were dating when they had such violent screaming matches across the bullpen; but it was far too much fun to give up.

**Author's Note:**

> Come check me out on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SkyeWillows) and [Tumblr](https://skyewillows.tumblr.com), where you can find links to my original works along with various events I'm taking part in.
> 
> I am a slave to all forms of feedback (kudos, subs, bookmarks and especially comments), so please feel free to indulge me.
> 
> See you next time guys!


End file.
